Fire alarm



April 29, 1924. 1,492,524

S. MICHALAK FIRE ALARM Filed June 6. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 29 1924. 1,492,524

s. MICHALAK FIRE ALARM Filed June 6. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

PATENT, VOFFECE.

STANISLAW MICHALAK, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

FIRE ALARM. 1

Application filed June 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANISLAW MroHA- LAK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, county of Lucas, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Fire Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n fire alarm apparatus, and'it is the principal object of my invention to provide an appa v ratus of this type in which the consummation or ruptureof strings or copper wires by an incipient conflagration will release a plurality of alarm apparatus in the room in means of a train of spring operated gears f -upon the release of the spring'by the conso alarm apparatus at a distant point.

summation of flames. Y

A further a plurality of strings by the object of-the invention is the provision-of means for normally holding a spring inactive, but allowing its-release by an incipient confiagration to operate a knife tocut a string normally held taut and re-, leasing uponits rupture by the knife an A still further object of the invention is the provision of a horn which is sounded by a gear forming part of a train of gears adapted tobe operated by-a spring which is brought to activity by a cutting of strings or severing of the taut strings by an incipient confiagration.

It is also an object of the invention'to substitute a weight for the spring, the release of which will rotate a shaft inqorderto set a train of gears into motion for sounding an alarm.-

These and other objects of my invention will become more fully known as thedescription thereof proceeds, and will then be specifically pointed out in the appended." claims.

I In the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure:

Figure 1 is a side view of a fire alarm apparatus constructed according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is an end View of the apparatus 1923. Serial No. 643,797.

looking in the direction of the arrows 33 of Figure 1. p

Figure 4 is a side viewof a modified form of my fire alarm apparatus adapted to be actuated by a weight.

F igure 5 is a top plan view thereof, and

Figure 6 is an end view thereof seen in the direction of the arrows 66 of Figure 4:. I

The apparatus comprises a frame com posed of parallel longitudinal bars 1O, 11 connected by pairwise arranged cross bars 12 and 18. A transverse shaft 14 is 'journaled in bars 10 and 11 and has a lateral extension 15 which projects beyond bar 11 and into and through the lower part 16 of a housing, the upper part1? of which is hornshaped and enters with its base 18 the part 16 in which it is frictionally held.

The outer end of extension 15 carries a' knob 19 while within the casing 16, in ap proximately its middle, it carries'a gear or toothed wheel 20 engaging-a reed or light "bar 21 secured to the bottom plate of horn 17, and a similar reed 22 on the bottom plate of-part- 16,s0 thatthe rotation of the gear will cause the sounding of an alarm.

'; Within the frame between bars 10 and 11,

shaft l f carries a gear 23, and near bar 11, laterally disposed thereto, a ratchet or "sprocket, wheel 24. p 7

- The upper part of horn 17 is. secured'to the outer face .of bar ll by means of a flange 25 and'bolt and'nut 26.

- Another stub shaft 27 is journaled in bars 10 and 11 and carries between these bars a gear 28 in mesh with gear28, and laterally disposed to gear28, shaft 27 carries also a gear 29-. This gear 29 is in mesh with a gear 30on, a sp'ringdrum 31 on shaft-32 extending out of the frame, where it carries abell crank lever to which one end of spring 31 is fastened, the other'end ofwhich is fastened to the drum 31, andthe arm 33 of the bell crank lever consists of two spaced parallel .bars connected at their lower ends by a pin 33, having a knob 34 on its outer end- On this pin is pivotally secured between the bars. of arm33 intermediate its ends a knife blade 35, the rear end ofwhich is connected by means of a spring 36 to the lower end ofthe other arm 37 of the bell crank lever. V

A bracket 38 is attached to the outer face of bar 11 near its lower end and to the rectangularly bent outer arm 39 of this bracket, one end of an angular lever 40 is pivotally secured, the other arm of which is provided near its upper end with a hole 41 for the attachment of a string or thread 42 guided through suitable eyes 43, 44 to another apparatus in the same or another room.

Through the eye 44 is also guided a cable, string or thread 45 attached .at one end to the lower end of a curved brake lever 46 pivoted intermediate its endsand engaging with its upper end normally theratchet 24. .Another string, thread or cable 47 of easily infiammablematerial or material having a low melting point is attached at one end to an eye 48 formed with bar 11, and

' is guided through an eye 49 to the hole 41 in bar 40 of a similar instrument in another room, fire or police station. The angular lever 40 has at its apex a substantially triangular recess 50 adapted to engage pin 33 to normally hold spring 31 inactive.

A second string 51 attached to eye 48 is alsoguided through eye 49 and secured to the lever 46 of another instrument and is out by knife 35 simultaneously with string The device operates as follows: A Any desired number of alarm devices may be attached to a wall, ceiling or beam etc.

in a room, so that the strings 45, 42, 47 and 51 are normally kept taut by either being attached to a wall or to another instrument.

It will be clear that the strings can be drawn across a room in any number of strands, zig-zag or straight, and that strings 45 and 42, and 47 51 willalways be in close proximity. If now a oonflagration should start in one of the rooms, the flames will break for instance strings 45and 42, of which 45 normally keeps brake lever 46 in engagement with the ratchet 24 and prevents the spring 31 to operate the train of gears. At the same time string 42 is broken by the flames and angle'lever 40 holding by the engagement of pin 33 with its recess 50the spring 31 inactive will be released and free to turn aroundfshaft 32 with theuncoiling spring. During the upward movement of arm 35, the knife blade'35 will be carried against strings 47 51 and will sever the same, allowing the release of the spring of another apparatus in another room or in a fire or police station to give an alarm.

In the modified form of my invention illustrated in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, the parts are identicalwith those described with respect to my preferred form with the exception of the following: The shaft 32, in stead of carrying the spring drum, carries .a cable drum 52 around which a strong metal cable 53 is wound, the free end of which is attached to a weight 54. p

The device operates in the same manner as described above with respect to the preferred form as the release of the tension of the strings by a flame will allow the weight to operate the parts, formerly operated by the uncoiling spring.

Changes may be made in the general arrangement'and in the construction of the minor details of my invention without cleparting from the scope and spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A fire alarm apparatus comprising a frame, a plurality of shafts journaled in said frame,one of said shafts laterally extending from said frame, a bi-partite horn, a gear on the extension of one of said shafts within the lower part of said horn adapted to sound the same, a train of gears, a spring adapted to rotate said train of gears and said shafts, means for braking said gears, means for normally holding said spring inactive, both of said means including strings adapted to be severed by a flame to release said spring and brake to sound said horn, means connecting two apparatus, and a knife adapted to be operated upon the release of said spring to cut the last named means for releasing the brake and spring of the other apparatus.

2. A fire alarm apparatus comprising a spring, a housing for said spring to which one end of the same is secured, a bell crank lever to which the'other end of said spring is secured, locking means for said bell crank lever, strings attached to said locking means forvnormally holding said bell crank lever andspring inactive, a train of gears, a braking means for said train of gears, strings for normally holding said gears braked by said last named means, an acoustic signal adapted to be operated by said train of gears upon the release of said braking means and said spring by the breaking of said strings by a flame, a knife pivotally secured intermediate its ends between the parts of one arm of said bell crank lever, a pair of strings normally taut and guided across said knife above the same, and connected to the braking means and the locking means for the spring retaining bell crank lever of a second apparatus, adapted to be severed by said' knife during the unwinding of said spring to release the brake and spring of the second apparatus for sounding the alarm.

.3. In a fire alarm apparatus of the character described, a bi-partite horn having one of its parts frictionally engaging the other, a frame, to one bar of which one part of said horn is secured, a gear within the other part of said horn, means for rotating said gear to engage reeds in the bottom parts of said horn to sound the same, a train of gears, means for braking said train of gears, a spring, means for normally holding said spring tensioned, and a plurality of strings attached to said braking means and said apparatus for releasing their springs and means holding the spring tensioned adapted gear brakes to sound an alarm at a point to be broken by a flame to release spring distant from the place of eonflagration. 10 and brake and to sound the alarm, means In testimony whereof I have aflixed my 5 for connecting two of said apparatus, and signature.

a knife operated upon the release of said spring to out the connecting means of two STANISLAW MICHALAK. 

